Women Fly is an annual event hosted by The Museum of Flight for young women interested in aviation and aerospace careers. Dayton GEAR UP took 8 young women to Seattle, WA to participate in a series of inspirational and career-oriented workshops led by exceptional women working in aerospace related fields. The theme for Women Fly 2015 was “Saving the World Through Aviation.” Special guests included; Lieutenant Commander Kelly Deutermann, helicopter pilot for the US Coast Guard, and Jessica Cox, Motivational Speaker and the world’s first armless pilot. The workshop gave the young women ideas of what kinds of careers they can obtain, and what to look for in a STEM program. Besides attending a workshop of their choice, the girls were able to tour the museum. In the museum there are 27 different exhibits such as Air Force One, and World War I and II. Besides the exhibits, the Museum of Flight has many collections which they acquire and preserve a wide array of materials and artifacts relating to aviation and space history and provides a center for the scholarly research of these materials and artifacts. The Museum holds one of the largest and most comprehensive air and space collections in the United States, containing millions of rare photographs and negatives, a world-class library, tens of thousands of artifacts, and over 150 rare aircraft and space vehicles.

Isabelle is a typical fun-loving sophomore girl who realizes she needs to take the harder science, and math classes, to have a good career. She wants to go into the medical field. She is now on the path to college but when she started in GEAR UP during her 7th grade, she was nowhere near the college path. I remember her in AVID class that she really didn’t care to be there, and didn't care about any of the AVID teachings. As time went by and GEAR UP events came that she attended, her attitude changed and she started getting serious about life and school, giving her best to teachers instead of giving them a hard time. She changed her study habits and priorities. She told me, “I still have fun with my friends but I prioritize homework first.”She is now serious about becoming a doctor and knows it will be hard work. Isabelle is eager to listen and take advice about classes she needs and is learning how to prepare for college. She raised her GPA up a whole grade from last year.

This year she joined the cheerleading squad, SHEO, FBLA and track. Good Job Isabell, keep up the hard work.

As the seniors’ deadlines and “to-do-lists” are being completed, Katie Thompson is ahead of the game. She has been accepted to Eastern Washington University in Cheney Washington. Her plan will include transferring to the Washington State University Extension in Spokane to begin the nursing program. GEAR UP site manager, Spring Wessels, had been helping Katie the last couple months with paperwork for her FAFSA student aid, scholarships, and college application. She conveyed deep appreciation for Spring and the help she received through the GEAR UP program.

Katie also accredited Dayton GEAR UP for her inspiration in pursuing a higher education. During her involvement with GEAR UP, she attended almost every event GEAR UP offered since 7th grade. She smiled as she thought about the time she attended a college football game during one of those events.It was during a college trip when she decided she CAN and SHOULD go to college, and her dream began.

Katie is an example what GEAR UP students can do when they put forth the effort. She reflects the effects of what can be accomplished in an educational setting. We are very proud of Katie and her accomplishments. Katie states, “Having taken College Readiness Class will help me make the transition from a high school student to a college student, and I am excited and confident I will succeed.”

During the months of October and November, Dayton HS GEAR UP was privileged to have Myra and Claudia, who are student and parent outreach specialists from WSU Tri-Cities, do In-class Presentations on “College Access Information.” We had a total of 115 students participating each month. Powerpoint slides and games were used to engage student’s participation; they also enjoyed a little competitiveness. The game enjoyed most was the Career game. The students received a career with play money and had to budget for a month.

Some students were given degrees and some only had a high school diploma with their career. They soon realized how important a degree is to support their life styles. Students learned that cost of dormitory/apartment living, food, books, and personal items such as cell phones, gas for your car, and coffee are all costs aside from tuition. The most important lesson learned was that all students can attend and graduate from college no matter their income status or background. A big thank you to Myra and Claudia who were building relationships with the students while offering practical and emotional support.

It’s all about ordering caps and gowns, bringing baby pictures for the year book, choosing colleges, writing essays, applications and waiting for that acceptance letter. Seniors at Dayton High School are GEARing UP toward graduation. One event that started the seniors in their last high school year was freshmen orientation. Five seniors came with words of wisdom from their own experiences and encouraged the freshmen to start thinking now about their life after high school

Senior Haley Puckett said; “Since this is my last year of high school, I am trying to be a part of as many school activities as possible.” Haley has already been accepted into a college. Some seniors are taking more rigorous curriculum trying to get their GPA’s up, while others are taking classes from a community college. It will end all too soon for these seniors and we are glad that they went through AVID classes and the GEAR UP Program, which is helping them make the choices they need to make. In January, GEAR UP is planning a FAFSA night for seniors and parents to learn about filing the FAFSA for financial aid to colleges.